Base for a fire-fighting tool

Abstract

Base for a fire-fighting tool is adapted to be secured to a horizontal surface such as the deck of a ship next to a vertical surface such as a bulkhead of such ship. The base is disposable at an angle that will allow the tip of a penetrator of a nozzle section of the fire-fighting tool, upon activation of an extensible hydraulic ram attached to the nozzle section, to be forced into the bulkhead and ultimately through the bulkhead, after which water may be sprayed into the area behind the bulkhead where a fire may be burning via spray orifices in the nozzle section. The arrangement of the fire-fighting tool at an angle between the deck and the bulkhead assures that there will be a rigid surface available for enabling pressure of the hydraulic ram to be exerted forcefully enough on the end of the penetrator section to breach the wall or bulkhead. The penetrator will dig into the wall surface efficiently and effectively even though it is applied to such wall surface at an angle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A base for a fluid-pressure nozzle penetrator-type fire-fighting tool comprising: (a) a support member having a flat lower surface for surface-to-surface contact with a substantially horizontal support surface, the support member also having an upper surface matching characteristics of a lower surface of a support leg of the fire-fighting tool;   (b) means for securing the support member to the support leg of the fire-fighting tool; and   (c) at least one downwardly extending tooth extending from the flat lower surface of the support member for substantially penetrating the support surface to positionally stabilize the support member,   (d) wherein the tooth further includes a side disposed at an angle that is the reciprocal of an angle of a beveled cutting plane of a nozzle penetrator section of the fire-fighting tool.   
     
     
       2. A base in accordance with claim 1 wherein the upper surface of the support member matching the characteristics of the lower surface of the support leg of the fire-fighting tool is arranged and constructed to dispose the fire-fighting tool at a 35°±10° angle with respect to a substantially vertical barrier plate structure and at a 55°±10° angle with respect to the support surface. 
     
     
       3. A base in accordance with claim 2 wherein the upper surface of the support member interengagingly matches characteristics of a knurled end of the lower surface of the support leg of the fire-fighting tool. 
     
     
       4. A base for a fluid-pressure activated extension ram for a penetrator-type fire-fighting tool comprising: (a) a support member having a substantially flat lower surface for surface-to-surface contact with a substantially horizontal support surface, the support member also having an upper surface;   (b) means for securing the support member to a lower portion of the extension ram a top portion of which is adapted to support a nozzle penetrator of the fire-fighting tool having a beveled cutting plane; and   (c) at least one downwardly extending sharp tooth on the lower surface of the support member for substantially penetrating the support surface,   (d) wherein the sharp tooth further comprises a sharp lower end and a plurality of sides one of which sides is disposed at an angle that is the reciprocal of an angle of the beveled cutting plane of the nozzle penetrator.   
     
     
       5. A base in accordance with claim 4 wherein the upper surface of the support member is arranged and constructed to dispose the extension ram and the nozzle penetrator at a 55°±10° angle with respect to the support surface.